Patent · US Expired

Packet reservoir

US4396338A · kind A · utility

12Cited by
9References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 1, 1980
Grant dateAug 2, 1983
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 1, 2000

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB65G47/5181
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A reservoir, particularly for cigarette packets, stores rectangular arrays of packets on vertically-spaced platforms. The reservoir is filled or emptied by moving successive batches of packets transversely off (or onto) a conveyor on which packets are moved in line, e.g. from a cigarette packing machine to a cigarette wrapping machine. When a platform is completely full it is indexed upwards and another platform moved from a store to take its place. The spacing between adjacent platforms in the empty platform store is less than that between platforms in use for supporting packets; this is achieved by supporting the platforms by tapes, similar to those of a venetian blind.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.